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| Role of technology in engaging students in discussions |
Click on the link to access the rubric for this blog.
Required Readings:
Oosterhof, A., Conrad,
R.-M., & Ely, D. P. (2008). Assessing
learners online. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Palloff, R.M. and Pratt, K (2009). Assessing
the online learner: Resources and strategies for faculty.
San Francisco, CA:
Jossey-Bass.
Optional reading:
Ragan, L. (2008). Best practices in an online
teaching. Retrieved from http://cnx.org/content/col10453/1.2/
Wenger (1998) posits that discussions
“provide inventive ways of engaging students in meaningful practice with the
access of resources that enhance their participation” (p.10). You probably have
engaged in several face-to-face discussions in your day-to-day lives and in
this course during the asynchronous discussions. Consider the following
questions as you think more about online discussion forums: In what ways has
your engagement in some of these discussions contributed to building a learning
community? What were the most salient features of the community you participated
in that helped to develop your relationship with other students? Which aspects
of your participation in the discussion forums do you think contributed the
most to the development of the performance skills for your course? (Oosterhof,
Conrad, & Ely, 2008). Use the internet to search for the assessment tools
that can contribute to motivating students to engage in online discussions.
Utilizing this week resources and your
experience of engaging in various discussions, respond to the following
questions:
·
Have your online asynchronous
discussions been different from your face-to-face discussions in terms of their
ability to build a learning community? In what ways were the experiences
different?
·
Which combination of technology tools
would you recommend as best for encouraging students to work with others in an
online discussion?
·
What are the opportunities and
challenges of growing the level of engagement in an online learning community?
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| Engaging in online learning community |
By Wednesday
Post your ideas and reflections on the contribution of online discussion
to the development of online learning communities and describe the role
of technology in building communities in online learning environment.
Lastly, describe some ways in which online discussions contribute to the meaningful
and effective learning community.
By Sunday
Engage, in a discussion, with two or more of the postings that you have
read. You may choose to engage with the
posting by posing a question, a comment or offer a reaction that perhaps
compares the ideas you have read to your own ideas and experiences.
Continue the discussion by returning to the postings in a few days, to
see what reactions and comments your colleagues have subsequently posted in
response to your own reactions. Please respond to any comments, questions
and/or suggestions that may have since been added to the discussion.
Reference:
Oosterhof, A., Conrad,
R.-M., & Ely, D. P. (2008). Assessing
learners online. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Wenger, E. (1998). Communities of practice: Learning, meaning,
and identity. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press.
